Be Honest When You Are Lying
To Your Kids About Drugs. Knight-Ridder Shows You How.
(Marijuananews note: Prohibitionism does not
just create bad social policies. It undermines effective education about substance use and
abuse, and it also makes it much more difficult for parents to have honest and effective
communication with their children.There is no specific mention of marijuana – or
any other drug, including alcohol, but the reference is inescapable.
The Kansas City Star seems to be a very dedicated prohibitionist propaganda outlet.)
See
Reefer Madness
Arguments Against Medical Marijuana Are "Special To The Kansas City
Star."
December 7, 1999
From The Kansas City Star
letters@kcstar.com
http://www.kansascity.com/Discussion/
http://www.kcstar.com/
Author: Jessie Milligan, Knight Ridder Newspapers
BE HONEST WHEN TELLING KIDS ABOUT YOUR DRUG USAGE
(Marijuananews note: This seems to be one of the themes of
prohibitionist propaganda these days.)
See
The Washington Post
Says That Parents Should Tell Children The Truth
And Provides Them With The Lies To Use While They Are Doing It.
Your 15-year-old looks you in the eye and asks you to tell the truth: Did you ever do
drugs when you were a kid? The answer is easy, of course, if you never experimented with
drugs. It's tougher if you did try drugs 20 to 30 years ago and long ago learned that they
weren't for you.
The question recently came into the news when GOP presidential front-runner George W. Bush
said baby boomers should tell their children that "I am not going to talk to you
about mistakes I may or may not have made, but I have some wisdom to share with you."
Some parents may choose to be more forthcoming, however. If so, they should put some
thought into how they will answer the question. Here are five things to consider when your
children ask about your past.
1. Consider your child's maturity level.
It's OK to evade a question about drugs if a child is so young that he or she wouldn't
really understand the answer. A 6-year-old doesn't really need to know. Tell them that
you'll talk about it when they're older.
2. When they are old enough to hear, don't lie to them.
Many federal agencies and national nonprofits, such as the Safe and Drug Free Schools
Program of the U.S. Department of Education, say that if a child asks about past drug use,
the best thing to do is to tell the truth.
See
The Prohibitionist
Internet Strategy:
www.we-can-lie-louder-than-you-can-tell-the-truth.con
Analysis By Richard Cowan
Here's why: Kids will see right through an evasive answer, and they'll know if you are trying to wiggle out of an uncomfortable
situation. If your child someday tries drugs, you want him or her to come forward and be
honest with you.
And a child may someday overhear or be told about some of the mistakes of your youth. If you've lied to them and they discover the truth,
your credibility will be lost.
And if a parent is evasive or lies about his or her own
experience, the issue can become larger in the child's mind, says Carol Anne Darwin,
psychotherapist, the Center for Change, Development and Support in Fort Worth, Texas.
"I think kids need realness. It's not enough to know that `drugs are bad.' They may
benefit from hearing your experience," Darwin says.
3. So exactly what do you say?
Here's an example, recommended by Alyse Booth of the Center
on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in
New York.
(Marijuananews note: For a critique of CASA see http://www.csdp.org/ads/casa.htm
"Yes, I did. It was a mistake I don't want you to make. We know so much more about
the dangers of drugs now, and drugs are stronger and more addicting than they used to be.
That's why our household policy is `no' on drugs."
See
Marijuana Prohibition
And Potency, Price, And Safety --
"Is Marijuana Stronger Than It Was Back In the '60s, When Everyone Thought It Was
Harmless?"
Analysis By Richard Cowan
(Marijuananews note: There has been no change in the molecular structure of any drugs.
There are some new drugs, notably Ecstasy, and related substances, but they are not
"stronger" nor has the "addictiveness" of various substances changed.
Especially for younger children, the best answer is to tell them – very truthfully
– that one of the most compelling reasons that they should not use "illegal
drugs" is that -- with the partial exception of marijuana – they cannot really
know what they are taking. With an illegal street drug, no one can know what it really is.
Marijuana is a partial exception to this, but that exception is of little relevance to
most younger teens. They simply will not know what they are taking.
However, no prohibitionist can tell kids this because it implies a criticism of
prohibition. The contamination of contraband is a cost of prohibition, and for a
prohibitionist to suggest that prohibition has any costs is anti-child, pro-drug, and
double-plus ungood, and a part of the legalizer plot to make all drugs available to
newborn babies.)
See
The Need For Drug
Prohibition Education.
Analysis By Richard Cowan.
How Can Parents Tell Their Children The Truth In A Sea Of Lies About Marijuana?
4. Don't give too many details.
Remember the sole purpose of talking honestly to your children about drugs is to offer
them guidance. It isn't necessary to describe what you did at a Grateful Dead concert in
1973. Adding too many details just may make drugs seem glamorous or fun.
5. Consider family counseling.
Christy Conklin, drug and alcohol counselor at Family Services of Fort Worth, said parents
who are too uncomfortable with the subject should consider family counseling to open the
lines of communication.
(Marijuananews note: If parents follow this advice, there will
probably be a great need for family counseling, drug abuse treatment, etc…)
Copyright: 1999 The Kansas City Star
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